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KOHAT, July 11: At least two people were killed and four others injured in a bomb blast near a mosque at Kacha Pakha on the Kohat-Hangu highway on Thursday, the first day of Ramazan.

The highway was closed to traffic after police and security forces cordoned off the area.

The bomb disposal unit said the bomb had been placed under the seat of a motorcycle parked on the road near a mosque adjacent to Qismat Khan hotel.

The blast was aimed at targeting Malik Najaf Ali and Malik Badshah Ali from Orakzai Agency, but they were not present in the mosque.

A tailor shop, two motorcycles, a Suzuki pick-up and a car were damaged in the explosion.

The deceased were identified as Zahir Hussain of Marai and Hamid Raza of Alizai.

The injured included Hussain Ali of Kachai, Vaqar Haider of Ustarzai and Ameer Hussain and Mohammad Zaman of Alizai.

Officials said the blast did not cause more casualties because the motorcycle had been parked at a distance from the mosque.

More than 100 people have died and 90 injured in three suicide blasts at the same area over the past four years.

AFP adds: “The motorcycle was parked at a roadside restaurant 20km from Kohat city. Two people were killed and five others wounded in the attack,” Dilawar Khan Bangash, district police chief of Kohat, said.

“One person died at the spot while another died while being shifted to hospital,” he said.

Hospital officials confirmed receiving one body and five injured.

“We received one dead body and five wounded from the blast site,” Mohammed Shamshad, a doctor at Kohat’s main hospital, said.

Police said the motive for the attack was not immediately clear.

“We don’t know the reasons why and who managed this attack,” said Mr Bangash.